THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA
The Yoga Sutras, also known as The Eight Limbs (Ashtanga) of Raja (King) Yoga, was the first fully
developed and recorded system of yoga. Created by Patanjali around 400 CE, this system influences
much of the yoga that is practiced today. Although most of the sutras were originally focused on
mindfulness, the yoga practiced in the West today seems to focus more on the body. Somewhere along
the way, it seems, we began to practice the movement of yoga in isolation from its original
philosophies.
For those interested in truly integrating the mindfulness of yoga with its movement, I recommend that
you read The Eight Limbs of Yoga in its entirety and digest it very slowly. Take time to reflect on it
piece by piece so you can implement it into both your practice and your daily life. Wisdom is in the
doing. The following, however, is a useful summary of The Eight Limbs of Yoga, which will
introduce you to the basic concepts of the philosophy. A deep understanding of yoga philosophy and
history will greatly enhance the benefits of your practice and put you on the path to mindfulness and
self-realization.
There is a wonderful lesson in Buddhism that applies here:
Once, a very old king went to see an old hermit who lived in a bird’s nest in the top of a tree. He
asked the hermit, “What is the most important Buddhist teaching?” The hermit answered, “Do no evil,
do only good. Purify your heart.” The king expected to hear a long and detailed explanation. He
protested, “Even a five-year-old child can understand that!” “Yes,” replied the wise sage, “but even
an eighty-year-old man cannot do it.”
Your biggest obstacle to self-realization is you. As it says in the Bhagavad Gita, “The mind is
restless and hard to control, but it can be trained by constant practice (abhyasa) and freedom from
desire (vairagya). A man who cannot control his mind will find it difficult to attain this divine
communion; but the self-controlled man can attain it if he tries hard and directs his energy by the right
means.”
Pantanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga will help you form the necessary groundwork to get on the right
track, but you must decide to confront your problems at their roots. Reading and intellectualizing is
not enough. If you want to reap the full benefits of the yoga experience, implement the Eight Limbs
into every aspect of your life. You must live it, breathe it, and engage this planet and its inhabitants
with the lessons below.
The first and second limbs, Yama and Niyama, form your foundation. Here, awareness and
realization is established. Yama and Niyama lay the footing for everything to come. A serious student
should be mindful of every limb, as each of these limbs need constant reflection. As you commit
yourself to their study and practice, your depth of understanding for each limb will get deeper over
time. In our world that perpetuates instant gratification, many people will take shortcuts and go